He was delicious, sweet, and desperately hungry for her. Her heart pounded, her skin felt feverishly hot, and she ached with desire. All this - just from kissing him? She might die if he did more.

She might die if he didn't. She groaned and nearly fainted at the raw, husky sound of his answering growl. Her body responded, causing her back to arch and more moisture to slicken her legs.

Before she knew it, her bra was off, and he was lifting her higher so he could kiss her breasts. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned as he suckled hard. With his palms on her rump, he pulled her groin tight against him. More moisture seeped from her. More desperation.

"Gregori, please."

He set her on the table. "Lie back."

She stretched out on the black slab as he fumbled with the button and zipper of her jeans. He pulled off her shoes, then whisked off her jeans and underwear.

Her heart thundered as he looked her over with his red glowing eyes.

"You look like a feast." He rested a hand on her tummy, then skimmed it up to cup her breast.

She reached for him. "Gregori."

He smiled and kissed her. "My beautiful Scholar." He trailed kisses down her neck to her breast.

She arched when he drew her nipple into his mouth. She raked her hands into his hair and gasped when he rested a hand on the curls between her legs.

"Oh God." She'd never felt such a desperate level of need before. All modesty fled, and she opened her legs.

He glanced up at her. "No screaming, remember?"

She shook her head. "I've never felt so . . ." She moaned when he parted the folds.

"You're dripping wet."

That made even more moisture seep out. "Please." She planted her feet on the table and pressed against him.

He gently stroked her clitoris. She gasped, struggling to breathe.

He rubbed her faster and faster till she knew he'd gone beyond what was humanly possible. And he was taking her with him, higher and higher.

Her climax ripped through her with such astonishing force, she didn't realize she'd screamed till his hand clapped over her mouth. Dots danced before her eyes, and her body throbbed.

Slowly her heart returned to a steady thud.

"Sorry about that." He took his hand off her mouth and grinned. "You came faster than I expected."

"Huh?" She managed to say.

"You're a screamer." He gathered her up in his arms. "We need to go somewhere private."

"Huh?"

He chuckled. "Trust me."

Everything went black, then she found herself in a strange place. "Huh?"

"This is my condo. Upper West Side."

She looked around the dim apartment as he carried her into a bedroom. "This is your home?"

"Yes." He dropped her onto his bed.

She sat up and gazed around the room. King-sized bed. Moonlight filtering through a window. Gregori kicking off his shoes while he unzipped his jeans.

"This is the infamous bachelor pad?"

He paused and looked at her. "I've never brought a woman here before. You're the one I want, Abby."

Her heart squeezed, and she smiled. "That's good, considering I'm in love with you."

He stared at her a moment, then his eyes glowed red. He dropped his jeans and his underwear.

She scooted back to make room for him. He moved onto the bed, crawling toward her, his red eyes coming closer. Her heart pounded faster. He had to be the sexiest man alive. Or Undead. She no longer cared which. As long as he was hers.

He lifted one of her legs and nipped at her toes. Then he nibbled a trail up her leg to her thigh. "You smell good."

He kissed her swollen and aching folds. "You taste good."

She whimpered as his tongue gently teased her clitoris.

He glanced up and his smile flashed white in the dark. "You can scream all you want here." He dove between her legs, and soon, she did scream.

"Gregori," she panted, reaching for him.

He stretched out over her, then eased his penis just inside. She gasped at the size. And hardness.

Slowly he stretched her out and filled her up.

"Oh God." She wrapped her arms and legs around him.

He rested his brow against hers. "You're the one, Abby. You're mine."

He pulled slowly out, then pushed back in. Again and again. Faster and harder.

He kissed her hard. "You wanted a warning. I'm about to come."

She laughed. "I love you." Her heart expanded till she thought it would burst. So much joy. So much love. And a trace of fear.

For she now believed in the impossible.

Chapter Twenty-one

"I'm still not happy about this trip of yours," Belinda said the next evening.

"I'll be fine, Mom," Abigail assured her. "I should be away for only a few days."

Madison perched on the end of the hospital bed in their mother's private room. "It sounds exciting to me. Like super spy stuff with superheroes. I wish I could go."

"We'll be camping inside caves," Abigail muttered.

"You won't have a bathroom?" Madison's eyes widened in horror. "Or a television? How on earth will you survive?"

"I'll be fine." Abigail rolled her eyes over to their mom.

Madison looked confused for a second, then nodded enthusiastically. "Oh! That's right. She'll be perfectly fine, Mom. I'll TiVo all the good shows for her. And the Chinese will never catch her."

Belinda groaned and pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Dad patted his wife's shoulder. "Abby will be with the most powerful guards on the planet. And Gregori promised to keep her safe."

"Where is this Gregori?" Belinda motioned to the window. "It went dark an hour ago."

"I'm sure he'll call soon," Abigail said, even though she was wondering the same thing.

After a few hours of lovemaking at his condo, he'd teleported her back to the lab so she could put her clothes back on. She'd checked out at work, letting a Secret Service agent drive her home so everything would appear normal. Then he'd teleported to her bedroom at the White House and they'd had more fun in the shower.

Before leaving, he'd warned her to be packed and ready to go the next evening. Her backpack was now sitting next to the dresser in her mother's hospital room, and she was saying her good-byes.

"Be sure to wear layers," Belinda warned her. "And don't drink the water. Even when you brush your teeth."

"Yes, Mom." Abigail's phone rang. "That must be him." She stepped over to the corner of the room and answered the phone.

"Ready to go?" Gregori asked.

"Yes. What took so long?"

"We went through all the reports from the guys. The messages come in during the day and pile up. Besides, there's no need to hurry. We can't start teleporting till the sun sets in California."

"Oh."

His voice softened. "Are you all right, Scholar?"

She turned to face the wall as heat invaded her cheeks. "Yes."

"Are you in your bedroom?"

"I'm at the hospital. My mom wants to meet you before we go. Is that all right?"

"Sure."

"You can teleport straight here. I'm in my mother's private room. My dad and Madison are here, too."

Gregori appeared beside her.

Belinda gasped.

Madison grinned. "So cool."

Her father stepped forward, his hand outstretched. "Good evening, Gregori."

"Sir." Gregori shook his hand, then inclined his head toward Belinda. "How do you do, Mrs. Tucker?"

Her eyes widened. "So you're really a vampire?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She looked him over. He was wearing khaki pants, a khaki shirt, and a brown bomber jacket. "You don't look very vampirish."

"He's doing the Indiana Jones look," Madison told her mother, then frowned at him. "You forgot the hat and the whip. You know, accessories really make an outfit."

Belinda held out her hand. "Would you come here, please?"

Gregori walked forward and took her hand in his.

She searched his face. "My husband believes you can be trusted, that you'll take good care of our Abby. Is that true?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Abigail's heart warmed at the sincerity in his voice. She eased closer so she could see his face.

"Abby tells me you're a young vampire, and you've never bitten a human for food," Belinda continued.

"Yes, ma'am, that's true."

Belinda smiled. "You seem well mannered for a vampire."

He smiled back. "My mother will be pleased to hear that."

"Your mother is still alive?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I've met her," Abigail told her mother. "She's mortal. And a big fan of yours."

Belinda shook Gregori's hand, then released it. "Very well. Have a good trip. And please bring my Abby home safe and sound."

"I will." He looked at Abigail. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. After a round of tearful hugs and good-byes, she swung her backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go."

"First stop, Romatech." Gregori wrapped his arms around her, and everything went black.

They landed outside the side entrance, and Gregori swiped his card to open the door. He led her to the security office, where she was able to look at the reports from the guys in China. Both bases were set up, and they had teleported in supplies.

The office soon grew crowded with Vamps and mortals who wanted to wish them a good journey. Abigail was introduced to Angus and Robby MacKay, who would be teleporting with them as far as Tokyo. When it was time to leave, both MacKay men pulled their wives aside to tell them good-bye.

Abigail was touched by the obvious love on their faces.

She leaned close to Gregori and whispered, "Are their wives vampires, too?"

"Emma's a Vamp," he whispered back. "Olivia's mortal. And expecting their first child."

Abigail's mouth dropped open, and she glanced at Robby and Olivia, who held each other tightly. "Oh my gosh." She grabbed Gregori's arm and whispered, "We didn't use any protection last night. And we did it five times. I can hardly walk."

Gregori winced as chuckles reverberated around the room. "Abby, there's no point in whispering around vampires. They can hear everything."

"Oh." Heat rushed to her cheeks.

"Don't worry." Gregori pressed a kiss against her temple. "My sperm is dead. I can't have children until Roman does one of his magic tricks."

She narrowed her eyes. "How does that work?"

"He would take live human sperm, erase the DNA, and put in mine."

"Oh." She nodded. "Interesting." So she could actually have children with Gregori. If they decided to get married.

She glanced again at Robby and Olivia. They seemed very happy. In fact, the room was filled with couples. Roman and Shanna. Caitlyn and her husband, and others whose names she couldn't recall, but they all seemed happy.

"Time to go," Angus announced. He and Robby grabbed their bags and her and Gregori's backpacks, then teleported away.

Gregori pulled her into his arms. "Ready?"

She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "San Francisco, right?"

"Yes. The West Coast Coven house. I've been there before, so I know the way. Hang on."

Everything went black, then her feet landed softly on a thick Persian rug. She looked around. Angus and Robby were standing close to the fireplace, talking to a dark-haired man in a kilt. The room appeared to be a parlor, richly furnished with wingback chairs and medallion-back sofas, all upholstered in dark red velvet, the color of blood. Fitting, she supposed, for a house full of vampires.

"Miss Tucker?" The kilted man approached her with a smile. "I'm Rafferty McCall, West Coast Coven Master."

"How do you do?" She shook hands with him. "Thank you for helping me."

Since they had to wait for the sun to set in Hawaii, Abigail spent the next few hours sightseeing with Gregori. Rafferty provided them with a chauffeured Town Car, and they roamed about the city, laughing and stealing kisses in the moonlight. No Secret Service agents watching their every move. She hadn't felt this free in years.

Then they teleported to a small beach house in Hawaii that belonged to a were-dolphin named Finn Grayson. He was a marine biologist who worked at a nearby sea park.

"If the MacKay dudes want something done on the islands, they rely on me," he told Abigail. "Vamps don't hang out here, you know. Too much sun." He grinned at the vampire men. "Take a load off, bros. I've got some Bleer in the fridge." He shuffled to the kitchen in his flip-flops.

Abigail couldn't help but smile at the differences. The MacKays were huge, pale, redheaded men who wore kilts and carried claymores on their backs. Finn looked like a blond surfer dude with his tanned skin and his baggy shorts and Hawaiian shirt.

She took a long walk along the beach with Gregori. Just the two of them, hand in hand. Back at the beach house, he encouraged her to take a nap. Once they moved on to Japan and China, there wouldn't be much time for rest.

She woke several hours later and ventured into the kitchen to look for food. "Hello?"

Where was everybody? After fifteen years of bodyguards, it felt strange to have no one hovering around her. She spotted Finn and Angus on the back porch. Angus waved for her to join them.